Dental bridge lock



F. L. BRECHT 2,339,674 DENTAL BRIDGE LOCK Jan. 18, 1944.

Filed Aug. 23, 19

INVENTOR.

BY I

Patented Jan. 18, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DENTAL BRIDGE LOCK Friedrich L. Brecht, San Francisco, Calif. Application August 23, 1943, Serial No. 499,627

'5 Claims. This invention relates to removable bridges of the type known as semi-fixed bridges which the patient cannot. remove, but'which may be removed by the dentist.

The object of the present invention is to generally improve and simplify the construction. and operation of locking devices for dentures of the character described, and especially to provide a locking device winch is an improvement on the form of locking device disclosed in my former patent entitled Dental bridge lock, Patent No. 2,127,285, issued August 16, 1938; to provide a bridge which may be easily placed in position and rigidly secured or locked with relation to adjacent; permanent supporting teeth; to provide a bridge in which the locking means is inserted, preferably from the lingual surface of the tooth so as to be completely hidden and in a position where it cannot be damaged by chewing or contacting hard substances; to provide interlocking members arranged in pairs at opposite ends of the bridge, said interlocking members being in the form of T-shaped sockets formed in inlays, crowns, or the like, applied-to the permanent teeth, and T-shaped anchor members secured atopposite ends of the-bridge; and further, to provide means for interlocking the anchor members of the bridge with relation to the sockets in which they are inserted in such a manner that the interlocking members can be removed by the dentist only.

The invention is shown by way of illustration in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a bridge showingit secured with relation to a pair of adjacent anchor teeth;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of Fig. 1 showing the interlocking means between the bridge and the interlocking anchor teeth;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

a Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the T-shaped anchor member;

cross-section Fi 5 is a vertical section taken on line 5-5 ofFig.3; g

(F g. :6 is a perspectivelocking member Fig. .7 is a .perspective: .vi'ew of another form' View of one vformjofi teeth in which the bridge D is to be fitted. The bridge may be constructed of gold or any other suitable metal and will carry two or more artificial teeth as conditions may demand. The bridge may be constructed in any suitable manner and it differs from the usual bridge only'to the extent that a T-shaped anchor member E is soldered or otherwise secured at each end of the bridge.

lhe anchor or permanent teeth A and B will be either crowned or provided with gold inlays such as indicated at a and b in the usual Way, and cast integral therewith, or otherwise secured, will be socket members F to receive the T-shaped i anchors at the ends'of the bridge.

Broadly, the structure sofar described is not new, but the means for securing the anchor members against removal from the sockets when inserted therein is new, and is constructed as follows: v

Referring to Figs. 3 to 6 inclusive, it will be noted that a lateral passage 1 is formed in the side of the crown or inlay in direct alignment with one arm 8 of the T-shaped anchor member, and that said arm of the anchor memberis notched as at 9 toform a shoulder I0, the purpose of which will hereinafter appear. the lateral passage, either in the upper or lower side thereof, is formed a shoulder H, and just beyond the shoulder is formed the slot I2,the purpose of whichwill hereinafter appear. 7

The lateral passage is provided for the reception of a lockinglmember, and broadly speaking, is nothing more or less than a spring latch as it is formed of spring metal bent back upon itself as at M to form 'a pair of spring arms [5 and I6 which tend tos'prea'd apart attheir outer ends. A shoulder l8 is-formed adjacent the outer end of one of these arms; hence, if thed'entist presses the spring arms together and' then-inserts the latch or lockingmember in the lateral opening and pushes itinwardly; shoulder l8 will finally pass beyond the shoulder .H', and, when 'the spring arms are released, an interlock will be formed between the shoulders H and I8 and the spring latch will besecured against removal. At the same time it will be noticed that the inner closed end of the latch shown at 14 will enter the notch .9..and thus overlie the shoulder Ill formed 'onithei anchor member; and thereby secure the anchor member against removal from the socket.

In actual operation it will be understood that the inlay or crown indicated at a and vein be made in the anchor teeth in the usual manner,

Within and that sockets will be formed therein so as to retain the anchor members when inserted. Similarly, when the bridge is made, the T-shaped anchors will be soldered or cast integral with the metal forming the bridge and at opposite ends thereof. Hence, when the work is completed, the bridge may be dropped into position as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and may be locked against removal by inserting a spring latch such as shown in Fig. 6 in each of'the lateral openings 1. These openings while preferably formed on the lingual side of the teeth may obviously be formed on the buccal side.

If at any time it is desired to remove the bridge- 1. In a removable denture of the character described where there is a permanent tooth and a removable tooth, a socket member formed in one tooth and an anchor member on the other tooth and fitting the socket, a lateral opening formed in the tooth having the socket, a shoulder formed on the anchor member and aligning and communicating with the lateral opening, and a spring actuated locking member insertable in the lateral opening and engageable with the shoulder on the anchor member to secure it against removal from the socket.

2. In a removable denture of the character described where there is a permanent tooth and a for inspection, cleaning, repair, or otherwise, the

dentist need only use a pointed implement commonly referred to as a probe or explorer. He inserts the point of this instrument in the slot l2 (see Fig. 5) and exerts sufi'icient downward pressure to disengage the shoulders II and I2, and :3

when this is accomplished, he pulls the locking member out of the lateral opening. When he has done so at both ends of the bridge, the bridge may be lifted out from the sockets which retain it.

In my former patent, previously referred to, a locking pin was employed to secure each anchor member with relation to its socket, but the ends of the locking pins were slotted in the manner of a screw, and were positioned in the biting surface of the teeth. In actual practice it is found that the tiny slots formed in the upper ends of the locking pins would sometimes become damaged by a person bitin a hard object or the like, thus making it difficult to remove the locking pins when a bridge was to be removed, but by placing the locking members at right angles to the anchors or at the side of the teeth, damage through mastication or biting cannot occur. Furthermore, by placing the locking members in the side surfaces of the teeth, they are more accessible both for insertion and removal.

In Fig. '7 a modified form of lock member is shown. Again, it is made of spring metal bent upon itself to form two spring arms I54; and Ilia. One arm has a small hole 20 formed therein and this is adapted to. engage a pin 2| which enters the lateral passage. Thispin may be inserted by drilling a hole vertically through the metal forming the inlay or crown and then inserting a pin and soldering it therein, This pin obviously looks with thearm I Go ofthe locking member, and the locking member in turn interlocks with the shoulder member Ina of the anchor member. While the pin 2| is shown as secured in the crown or inlay, it is obvious that a, short pin may be.

secured to the arm 16a and that a recess may be formed in the crown or inlay to receive the pin. In other words, the structure shown in Figs. '7 and 8 may be reversed and the same results obtained. While this andother features of my invention have been more or less specifically described and illustrated, I wish it understood that various changes may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims and that the materials and finish of the several parts employed may be such as the experience and judgment of the manufacturer may dictate, or varying uses may demand.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is-.-

removable tooth, a socket member formed in one tooth and an anchor member on the other tooth and fitting the socket, a lateral opening formed in the tooth having the socket, a, shoulder formed on the anchor member and aligning and communicating with the lateral opening, and a spring actuated latch insertable in the lateral opening and engaging the shoulder on the anchor member to secure it against removal from the socket.

3. In a removable denture of the character described where there is a permanent tooth and a removable tooth, a socket member formed in one tooth and an anchor member on the other tooth and fitting the socket, a lateral opening formed in the tooth having the socket, a shoulder formed on the anchor member and, aligning and communicating with the lateral opening, a locking member insertable in the lateral opening and engaging the anchor member to secure it against removal from the socket, and spring actuated means securing the locking member against removal from the lateral passage.

4. In a removable denture of the character described where there is a permanent tooth and a removable tooth, a socket member formed in one tooth and an anchor member on the other tooth and fitting the socket, a lateral opening formed in the tooth having the socket, a shoulder formed on the anchor member and aligning and communicating with the lateral opening, a locking member insertable in the lateral opening and engaging the anchor member to secure it against removal from the socket, a shoulder formed within the lateral passage, and a spring actuated latch on the locking member engageable with a shoulder. to releasably secure the locking member against removal from the lateral passage.

5. In a removable denture of the character described where there is a permanent tooth and a removable tooth, a socket member formed in one tooth and an anchor member on the other tooth spring engaging the shoulder on the anchor memher to secure it against removal from the socket,

' a latch formed on one of the spring arms and a keeper within the lateral passage which the latch releasably engages to normally secure the spring arms against removal from the lateral passage.

FRIEDRICH L. BRECHT. 

